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Chuvok
Joined: 25 Jan 2009
Location: Russia
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 Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:56 pm Post subject: Fastest ways to a degree |
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Hello, I am a Canadian English Teacher who has been working in Eastern Europe and Russia for the past 7 years. I consider myself a professional Teacher, because of my experience and knowledge of the language.
However, I never finished a degree. I did attend university for a short time and completed a little more than one year worth of academic credits towards a bachelor�s degree.
Due to not having a degree, my job options have remained limited. It is not difficult to find work in this part of world without a degree, but the jobs open to me usually do not pay very well.
I want to improve my job prospects and get a degree. Only, I can�t really stop working and take a number of years off to study full-time.
I�ve looked into correspondence degrees through universities in Canada. However, they are very expensive and to be honest the subjects they offer do not interest me very much.
So, I was wondering if anyone has some advice about fast and reputable ways of obtaining a degree. Basically any degree! I�ll be honest; I only want it so I can get a better job. |
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roknroll
Joined: 29 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
I�ve looked into correspondence degrees through universities in Canada. However, they are very expensive and to be honest the subjects they offer do not interest me very much.
So, I was wondering if anyone has some advice about fast and reputable ways of obtaining a degree. Basically any degree! I�ll be honest; I only want it so I can get a better job. |
You say the correspondent courses don't interest you, yet you conclude saying any degree is ok. You have 7 years experience teaching, do you want to improve your job prospects in teaching only or open the doors to other types of employment? If it's the former, it behooves you to acquire a relevant degree. Presumably, you would be interested in the courses and it would give you an edge over others who have a degree in an unrelated field. Also, it's going to pay dividends if you plan on making the education field your career. If it's the latter, obviously you can consider a degree suited to your interests and/or job prospects in the area.
| Quote: |
| Only, I can�t really stop working and take a number of years off to study full-time. |
Do you want to continue working somewhere overseas while working on your degree, or would you be willing to return to Canada and do the same? You could look at the esl field back home and try to find work while in proximity to colleges/universties where there is a variety of courses to choose from as well as degrees. If you don't want to return home, your limited to online degrees. Or you could check out universities that offer English instruction. Majoring in the language of a country you'd like to live in would probably be a good way to open the doors to a variety of opportunities.
Anyway, not an expert here, just offering some general ideas. I think if you further clarify your intentions you're likely to get more concise and relevant answers.
Good luck! |
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Chuvok
Joined: 25 Jan 2009
Location: Russia
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| Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the reply!
Yes, I intend to stay abroad. I do not plan on returning to Canada any time soon.
Ideally, I'd like to keep working as a teacher for a few more years, then move into something related to international relations or aid. I'm not a money seeker, but I do want to earn a comfortable salary if and when I decide to start a family.
When I said the subjects offered by correspondence were not appealing I meant they were very generic degrees with not many courses to chose from. I see I made a contradicting statement, but you get the idea. I at least want to take some enjoyment and interest in what I'll study, even if I plan to rush through it as fast as possible.
And yes, I've also looked into local universities. But, in Russia the typical degree is 5 years long, and they are very regimented. Unlike Canadian universities, it is impossible to speed up the process with summer or extra courses.
A university degree seems to be a seal of approval in lots of places. Korea and Japan for example. So, colleges or other institutes don't interest me at this time, even though they offer more interesting subjects.
The best option I've seen so far is the University of Waterloo. They offer correspondence degrees and have a 3 semester system, so it is possible to finish a 4 academic year degree less than 3 years. But, as I said it is very expensive. The whole price tag would come to more than $20 000 by the time I'm finished. I can't afford that at the present time, while working in Russia. Financial aid is an option that I am looking into, but I suspect as a non-resident I won't be able to get a student loan from any Canadian institution. |
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crocadoodledoo
Joined: 26 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:11 am Post subject: |
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| I'd say check out Australian degrees - for my masters it is cheaper and (seemingly) easier than Canada |
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oldtactics
Joined: 18 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 6:11 am Post subject: |
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| Have you looked at Athabasca? Doesn't really solve the 'too expensive' problem but they have a ton of liberal arts degrees that you can finish as fast or as slow as you'd like. |
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The evil penguin
Joined: 24 May 2003
Location: Doing something naughty near you.....
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| Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:11 am Post subject: |
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| crocadoodledoo wrote: |
| I'd say check out Australian degrees - for my masters it is cheaper and (seemingly) easier than Canada |
don't tar all the aussie degrees with the same brush...
Admittably there are some out there with the worth of toilet paper and about as easy to get as herpes from a Bangkok hooker.... You do get what you put into it.....
If you want a degree actually worth anything you do need to put in the hard work. Generally speaking the online courses on offer are not highly regarded by employers... but if its just a bit of paper you need then they certainly could be an option |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Chuvok wrote: |
The best option I've seen so far is the University of Waterloo. They offer correspondence degrees and have a 3 semester system, so it is possible to finish a 4 academic year degree less than 3 years. But, as I said it is very expensive. The whole price tag would come to more than $20 000 by the time I'm finished. I can't afford that at the present time, while working in Russia. Financial aid is an option that I am looking into, but I suspect as a non-resident I won't be able to get a student loan from any Canadian institution. |
That's normal. $20,000 for a degree is normal right?
Actually now that I think about it mine was only about $13,000 (tuition and books, I REALLY cut corners on the books). It's a 3-year degree, and as a piece of paper that says "hey, I have a bachelor's degree" it has done an admirable job. I got it in Canada. Does Waterloo offer a 3-year degree? Not a 4-year degree finished in three years, it's actually 3/4 of the work (and expense) for basically the same qualification. Plus you can always go back and "finish" it later, I plan on doing that eventually once I have enough money. Something to think about.
Also check on your old university credits to see if they are still valid. I think ten years is the typical cut-off. |
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ReeseDog
Joined: 05 Apr 2008
Location: Classified
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| Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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| The evil penguin wrote: |
| If you want a degree actually worth anything you do need to put in the hard work. |
So go home, take out your loans or tend bar or whatever, get into school, and get a standard degree.
| The evil penguin wrote: |
| Generally speaking the online courses on offer are not highly regarded by employers... |
Again, get a real degree - one earned by actually attending classes. Nothing to which anyone can present an upturned nose. |
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Illysook
Joined: 30 Jun 2008
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umpittse
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject: Re: Fastest ways to a degree |
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| Chuvok wrote: |
Hello, I am a Canadian English Teacher who has been working in Eastern Europe and Russia for the past 7 years. I consider myself a professional Teacher, because of my experience and knowledge of the language.
However, I never finished a degree. I did attend university for a short time and completed a little more than one year worth of academic credits towards a bachelor�s degree.
Due to not having a degree, my job options have remained limited. It is not difficult to find work in this part of world without a degree, but the jobs open to me usually do not pay very well.
I want to improve my job prospects and get a degree. Only, I can�t really stop working and take a number of years off to study full-time.
I�ve looked into correspondence degrees through universities in Canada. However, they are very expensive and to be honest the subjects they offer do not interest me very much.
So, I was wondering if anyone has some advice about fast and reputable ways of obtaining a degree. Basically any degree! I�ll be honest; I only want it so I can get a better job. |
A few points of interest you should strongly consider if you are seeking a Bachelor's degree for the purpose of acquiring an ESL/EFL teaching job in Japan and/or Korea:
1. A four-year Bachelor's degree is needed not a three-year. Although, there is now a Korean government sponsored program allowing individuals who are currently working on a degree and who have completed two years of study to teach (at a lesser salary than those who possess a Bachelor degree) in Korean public schools.
2. You should focus on obtaining a Bachelor's degree from an English first language Western university (i.e. Canada, USA, Australia or England). While degrees from non-English first language universities are accepted they are not viewed in high regard. So, you would be greatly limiting your job prospects by obtaining a degree from a non-English first language university.
3. In Canada, I believe one can recieve credit for previously completed post-secondary courses as long as the courses are not older than nine years. However, you should check as this deadline may vary from university to university.
4. Completing a Bachelor's degree via distance/online will be more expensive with respect to the cost of the courses than a traditional face-to-face method. Additionally, distance/online degrees are usually not viewed as highly as degrees completed throught the traditional face-to-face method. If you must complete a Bachelor's degree via distance/online and have chosen to do a Canadian degree, check out the following website. http://www.cvu-uvc.ca/ It is an online collaborative effort by accredited Canadian universities and colleges that offers over 350 degrees, certificates and diplomas via distance/online.
Hope this helps. Good luck. |
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oldtactics
Joined: 18 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| 1. A four-year Bachelor's degree is needed not a three-year. Although, there is now a Korean government sponsored program allowing individuals who are currently working on a degree and who have completed two years of study to teach (at a lesser salary than those who possess a Bachelor degree) in Korean public schools. |
A 3 year general BA from Canadian universities is acceptable for Korean immigration and employment and is equivalent to a 4 year BA in terms of pay scale. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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oddly enough, this sounds kind of interesting. |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 3:48 am Post subject: |
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| oldtactics wrote: |
| Quote: |
| 1. A four-year Bachelor's degree is needed not a three-year. Although, there is now a Korean government sponsored program allowing individuals who are currently working on a degree and who have completed two years of study to teach (at a lesser salary than those who possess a Bachelor degree) in Korean public schools. |
A 3 year general BA from Canadian universities is acceptable for Korean immigration and employment and is equivalent to a 4 year BA in terms of pay scale. |
It's true. Some employers might not like it (I had to scan my grad letter to "prove" it was real!) but I haven't lost a job over it. (So far, anyway.) I do worry about it but that extra year of school just was not worth it. |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Draz wrote: |
| Does Waterloo offer a 3-year degree? Not a 4-year degree finished in three years, it's actually 3/4 of the work (and expense) for basically the same qualification. |
Waterloo offers many options: 3-year general degrees, 4-year general degrees, 4-year honours degrees, 4-year honours degrees in 3 years, 4-year honours co-op degrees in 5 years.
Any of those are acceptable by Korean Immigration for an E2 visa. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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| ReeseDog wrote: |
| Again, get a real degree - one earned by actually attending classes. Nothing to which anyone can present an upturned nose. |
Quite a few distance degrees are real degrees. The worth of the degree depends on the institution and accreditation. Those who "turn up their noses" at accredited degrees merely display their own ignorance. |
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